December 15

1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee

3 Let no mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and men.

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones

9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in which he delighteth.

13 Happy is the man that indeth wisdom, and the man that geteth understanding:

14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fire gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her

16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her; and happy is every one that retaineth her.

19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:

22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble

24 When thou best down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.

26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

28 Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

30 Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

31 Easy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

32 For the inward is alomination to the LORD; but his secret is with the righteous.

33 The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked; but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

34 Surely he scorneth the scorners; but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

35 The wise shall inherit glory; but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

"In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths"—verse 6). God reveals His will by His providence, and through His administration of events. But there is no such thing as interpreting the will of God unless we have in us the spirit of children. What is the spirit of children? Love—confidence. God locks up His best blessings, but gives to every man a key wherewith to open the lock. Love is that key. Pride or vanity could not open that door. But if a man have the spirit of filial love; if he say, "My Father knows me, and my circumstances; I love Him, and His will is my will;" if he look at events with a child-like, loving spirit, to him will be given the key to interpret the revelation of God's will.

"Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace"—(verse 17). "Religion, regarded as a theory of a perfect state, is right in pronouncing itself a way of pleasantness and a path of peace. If a man could but walk perfectly in the way of religion, he would be perfectly happy. The way is pleasant, and all the paths are peace; and yet along that pleasant way there are groans and sorrows innumerable; and along that way of peace there is struggle, turmoil, combat, and confusion. But the divine plan and intent, the ultimate state, is a state of supreme blessedness. The nature of man is one which, when brought fully up to its divine ideal, will produce constant happiness."—H. W. Beecher.

Closet Promise.—When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.—Prov. iii. 24.

That is a tender scene wherein two little boys are described as lying together at night, when Willie, the eldest, who was only six years of age, awoke very thirsty. Being told that he could get up and help himself to some water, he began to cry, saying that he was afraid. Then his little brother, two years younger, spoke encouragingly to him, saying: "God is wight here, Willie; God is wight here. You needn't be afraid, Willie."

So Willie got up, helped himself to some water, and went back to his bed safe from harm, soon to be asleep again with his thoughtful brother. Thus it may be all dark with us, even dark as midnight, and we may shrink from the terrible darkness of our night of adversity; but the thought that God is right here with us, in the darkest place of our bitterest experience, may enable us to arise and perform our life work with the comforting conviction that all is well.